Down the Rabbit Hole
by a.lakewood
Summary: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Gen
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Down the Rabbit Hole 1/?  
**Author**: a.lakewood  
**Characters**: Dean, Ruby  
**Warnings**: Spoilers for _Dream a Little Dream of Me_, and _The Magnificent Seven_ (just in case).  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Summary**: _A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step_. --Lao-tzu  
**Disclaimer**: As always, I own nothing.

**XOXOXOX**

So, yeah. Probably not the _best_ idea Dean Winchester ever had. But it was, by far, not his worst.

Anyway, it wasn't like he could just _go and ask_ Ruby. He was pretty sure she didn't like him.

So, this – not a good idea. But he really wanted to know.

**XOX**

The dream root was some pretty trippy stuff. Then, combined with black-magicky demon powers. Yeah. Definitely not a good idea.

But he wasn't even sure if it was going to work. Do demons even sleep? If Ruby wasn't sleeping, would he just end up in her thoughts, in her subconscious? Would it even be _Ruby's_ mind, or that of the girl she was possessing?

Dean stared at the mug of noxious-smelling tea, tainted with Ruby's blood – getting that was _super-fun_ – and glanced over at a snoring Sam.

Oh, his brother would _kill_ him if he weren't already about to bite it.

Wrinkling his nose, he lifted the mug. "Bottoms up," he said to himself.

**XOX**

When Dean woke up, he found himself completely disoriented. In the midst of an all-consuming darkness, he wasn't sure of direction, couldn't get his bearings. He was afraid to move and slowly sank to a crouching position before sitting down.

From this position, he felt the tiniest current of cool air. It was followed by a downdraft of heat. He put his hand out flat in front of him. It was solid. He started crawling forward.

It was at least ten minutes before the darkness started to diminish and, damn, was Dean thankful for that – he hadn't been on his hands and knees for this long in a while.

**XOX**

The light took on an orangey glow, and the brighter it got, the more uneasy Dean's stomach became. Probably because, with the increasing light, he could smell sulfur. _Brimstone_.

_Fuck._ He suddenly didn't want to know what Hell was going to be like. He closed his eyes. "Wake up, Dean. Wake up, _now_."

Cracked an eye open. Still in the void.

"Fuck."

He stood, now that he could see that he wasn't going to drop off into an abyss, and walked towards the light. It reminded him of an exchange of witty banter he'd had with Sam. He'd said something about seeing light at the end of the tunnel and Sam had responded with, "That's hellfire, Dean." He chuckled despite himself.

**XOX**

Dean came to the end of the path he'd been walking. The smoothness became rocky. Found himself at the base of a foothill. Nowhere else to go but up, so he started to climb.

It didn't take long to reach the top and he saw that Hell really _was_ a pit. Well, at least, Ruby's version.

The pit was littered with black boulders, some smaller ones glowing red-orange, a river of – well, it reminded Dean of a lava flow.

He remembered that, back in Ruby's day – when she was _human_, a lot of people believed that Hell was a place below, a place underground. Lava was in the earth's core. This could be somewhat the Hell Ruby had imagined when she was growing up.

**XOX**

The pit was vast, more like a giant crater, and he was halfway down the side before he could see a body suspended some thirty, forty, maybe sixty or so feet in the air. Circling it, weaving around the convulsing limbs, was the swirling black substance of a demon.

The body, he recognized, belonged to Ruby.

She twisted and screamed. Cried. Begged.

And he couldn't stop himself. "Ruby!"

Dean ran towards her as the demon stopped it's swarming, becoming a roiling black cloud below Ruby's body. And he could _swear_ he felt it staring at him.

Part of Dean wished this was no more than some B-movie set where the monsters had visible costume zippers and everything was plastic and the river of lava was made of Jell-o or something. That Ruby was held above the ground by invisible cables, and that the demon was...well, he didn't know what the demon would be made out of in that scenario. He desperately wanted to take part in all that suspension of disbelief stuff, but knew that this was all too real.

He could die here.

"Ruby!" he called again, the demon moving towards him, slowly gaining speed. "_Ruby!_"

Her body free-fell to the ground, landing with a sickening thud that would've shattered a mere mortal's bones. She rolled to her side and looked at him, bleeding from her mouth, her nose.

The black cloud stilled, reversed, forced itself down Ruby's throat.

Her eyes were a luminous onyx when she looked at him again. Stared at him with open curiosity and a great interest before recognition and confusion set in, like she suddenly remembered him. "Dean. How'd you...?"

Dean helped her to her feet. "I, uh."

"The silene capensis." She made that how-could-you-be-so-stupid face he was used to seeing on Sam. "Dean."

His eyes went wide, incredulous. "What?"

Ruby's jaw muscles twitched. Then, she strode towards him and grabbed his arm, pulling him along with her. "I swear to _God,_ Dean."

"Do you even _believe_ in God, Ruby?" All cocky, eyebrows raised and wearing a smirk.

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Let's get you out of here, Nancy Drew."


	2. Chapter 2

**Title**: Down the Rabbit Hole 2/?  
**Author**: alakewood  
**Characters**: Dean, Ruby  
**Warnings**: Spoilers for _Dream a Little Dream of Me_, _Pilot_.  
**Rating**: PG-13  
**Summary**: _A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step_. --Lao-tzu

**OXOXO**

After a few minutes of walking, Dean cleared his throat. Twice, because, apparently, Ruby was ignoring him. "Um, Ruby?"

She turned to him, lips pursed, eyebrows arching under the sweep of blonde hair across her forehead. _What?_, was the question asked without words.

"Are we just going to _walk_ ourselves out of here?"

She looked away, working her jaw. "I don't know, Dean. I just _don't know_. 'Cause I'm pretty sure I'm not asleep right now."

"So...How do you know?"

"I don't. Which I just said." She reached into her jacket pocket, producing what looked like a rock.

Dean, forever nosy, asked, "What's that?"

"A topaz."

"Oh. Will it get us out of here?"

"Not directly."

"What's it do?"

"Helps me think. Now, shut up so I can concentrate."

Dean watched Ruby as she paced, thumb worrying the surface of the blue-tinted stone. Watched her grey eyes dart about as she thought. It took him a couple of moments to realize that their surroundings were changing. Slowly, at first, then more rapidly.

From the dark stone all about them, oak trees sprouted. Actually saw them _growing_ before his eyes. Watched the trunks widen, branches reaching higher and higher into the black sky. Soon, the stone was replaced by grass; the smell of brimstone, in turn, faded and the scent of damp earth filled Dean's lungs.

He walked over to a tree, raised his hands to it. The bark was rough under his fingertips. Ruby should've been able to just _think_ them awake, but it just didn't work. He sat and leaned against the trunk, closing his eyes, trying to imagine himself back in the hotel room.

**OXO**

Eyes still closed, he heard Ruby say his name, somewhat angrily. "_Dean_."

Once his eyes adjusted to the dimness, he recognized the vaguely familiar wallpaper as that of his and Sam's current hotel room. Well, _ha!_ Ruby couldn't get them out of their mess, but _he _could. Well, out of _his_ mess, anyway. But it wasn't like he had expected any of this to happen. "Back to reality, safe and sound," he whispered before noticing that Sam wasn't sleeping in the bed opposite the one he was sitting on.

Ruby shook her head. "I don't think so. Doesn't feel right." She crossed the room to the window, discreetly pulling back the edge of the curtain to peer outside. She opened the curtain completely. "That look like reality to you?"

All Dean could see was fire. He licked his lips, about to speak, but the words didn't come.

"Did you just pull me into _your_ head?"

Dean went over the window and looked out. It was like looking into another room. Sam's nursery, to be exact. Mary pinned to the ceiling. But instead of that damn demon standing over the crib, it was Dean. His other self turned towards the window, head cocked, black eyes reflecting the flames. Then he slammed through the window.

Dean had heard about people wrestling with their demons, but this was a little ridiculous.

"Come on, Dean," he taunted himself. "Save them. Go on." The demon shoved him down to the floor as he tried to reach for the Colt that was under his pillow.

"Dean, if you're dreaming, just imagine us somewhere else, imagine him gone, _something_!" Ruby shouted, rushing at the other demon.

"It's not that simple, sweetheart," it said, easily throwing a punch into her stomach and knocking her halfway across the room.

Dean had the Colt in his hands – and this was sure to be different than shooting himself with his sawed-off – before the demon knew what was going on.

Ruby glanced up at him from where she lie on the floor, eyes black for a split second. "_Do it!_"

It turned on Dean, his mouth curling into an amused smirk. "Nothing's gonna change, Dean. You can't stop it – none of it. Prophecies have a way of coming about no matter who or what gets in their way."

"_Dean!_" She rolled on to her side, tried crawling towards him.

And he just...faltered. Wavered. Whatever you want to call it. And the demon was back on him, knocking the gun from his hands. "We're gonna win, Dean. Don't fight it, _us_."

The demon's hands circled his neck, squeezing. And Dean couldn't pull them away, couldn't push him off.

A shot was fired, and the demon's grip went slack, then its body slumped to the side.

Dean could see Ruby, on her side again, leaning up on an elbow, holding the Colt.

"Please, let's just get the fuck out of here."


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: Down the Rabbit Hole 3/?  
**Author**: alakewood  
**Warnings**: Spoilers for _Malleus Maleficarum_ and _Dream a Little Dream of Me.  
_**Rating**: Strong PG-13 for some cursing.  
**Summary**: _A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step_. -- Lao-tzu

**OXOXO**

_Meanwhile..._

Sam woke with a start when he heard a loud thunk. He glanced over to Dean's bed – his brother was lying on top of the blankets still fully dressed. Reaching for his gun, he carefully climbed out of bed. "Dean," he whispered. "Dean, did you hear that?"

Dean didn't respond. Didn't even do the normal groan-and-roll-over move he'd usually do when Sam tried talking to him while he was sleeping.

Sam backhanded Dean's calf as he passed the bed, gun trained on the half-open bathroom door. "_Hey._ Dean." He nudged the door completely open, filling the bathroom with a dim light that was enough to see that nothing was in there that shouldn't have been.

Certain that there was no one or nothing else in their hotel room, Sam turned his full attention to his still-sleeping brother. That's when he noticed the mug on the floor below Dean's limp hand. It was probably the mug hitting the floor that woke him.

Setting his gun on the nightstand beside Dean's bed, he pushed Dean's shoulder. "Hey," he said again. "Dean."

Nothing.

Sam grabbed both of Dean's shoulders and shook him, maybe a little violently. "Dean!"

Dean's head just lolled back, making him look a little like a ragdoll.

He settled Dean back onto the bed before reaching for the mug on the floor. He sniffed the inside. "Yikes." He recognized that disgusting smell, but what... "Shit. You _didn't_, did you?"

Sam ran out to the Impala, popping the trunk and searching for the duffel that contained various herbs, and plants, and other things that they might use for a ritual or a spell. Including the last of their Silene Capensis. Which was gone.

"Dean." He returned to his brother's bedside. Dean's eyes were open wide, the irises colorless like those of a blindman. Or someone under a spell.

**OXO**

Dean pushed his demon-self's body off of him and went over to Ruby, offering a hand to help her up but she ignored him.

She drug herself up onto the bed, holding her stomach and glaring at Dean. "How much did you take?"

"What?" He sat down next to her.

"The Silene Capensis. How much?"

"I don't know." He held his hand up, forefinger and thumb about three inches apart. "That much? Sam made it the last time so I don't know how much he used."

Ruby closed her eyes as she turned away from him. "You could be out for a whole day."

"Sam will figure out what's going on."

"And then what? How will he wake you up?"

"Maybe Bobby knows of something that can counteract it."

"_Maybe_. We need more than 'maybe,' Dean."

"I don't see what the big deal is, Ruby. I mean, we're just asleep."

"Yeah, and sitting ducks for whatever evil bastard wants to come along and kill us. Sure. No big deal at all." She sighed. "You might have Sam to protect you, but my body's just lying out there, thanks to you."

"Ruby."

"Look. Whatever. _Maybe_ Sam will be fine by himself after your deal comes due."

"What's stopping _you_ from waking up? _I_ might be drugged, but you aren't."

"I don't know. Whatever the reason is, I'm sure it's somehow your fault."

"_Of course_ it's my fault," Dean said, standing. "_Everything_ that goes wrong is my fault." He got right down in her face. "You think I don't know that, Ruby. You don't know anything." He stormed out of the hotel room, leaving Ruby by herself.

"Fuck," she sighed, slowly standing and walking over to the doorway. But there was nothing but an empty parking lot. "Dean," she called out.

But he was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title**: Down the Rabbit Hole (4/?)  
**Author**: a.lakewood  
**Warnings**: A very minor, blink-and-you-miss-it spoiler for _AHBL II_ and some mentioning of character-related (technically) slash, but **not** Wincest.  
**Rating**: PG-13, for the mentioned slash.  
**Summary**: _A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step._ -- Lao-tzu  
**A/N**: This one's a little weird, folks. You've been warned.  
**Disclaimer**: As always, I own nothing.

**oxoxo**

"Dean!" Ruby called out again even though she knew he wouldn't hear her. He couldn't have gotten _too_ far. Then she remembered that they were in his mind now – he could be lost in the memories of another year.

Could've been worse – he could have gone back to another lifetime. This, Ruby knew from experience. Hundreds of countless years in Hell provided her the opportunity to learn about certain aspects of the metaphysical – between the agonizing years of torture, anyway.

What she learned:

_The subconscious is an extension of the soul – which, even when the body dies, keeps its memories._

A soul is reborn ten, fifty, a hundred times over and can retain centuries worth of memories that the current vessel, the Safeguarder of the soul, could never even begin to guess at.

There are only two planes of existence where the soul is able to comprehend and remember every past life. These two planes are Heaven and Hell. When the soul ascends to Heaven, it is kept pure and innocent, the way it was created. The way the Safeguarder's life was lived determines the ascent or descent of the soul.

If a soul descends to Hell, there is little to no chance of redemption. For, when the soul is banished to Hell, the demons and monsters that dwell there will taint the soul, and break it. It is tortured and corrupted and can never reclaim its purity. This is not to say that if, by chance, a soul is redeemed that it cannot ascend to Heaven upon the Safeguarder's death in another life. These souls – those that have been shadowed with darkness – are kept separate for they have become savage, demented, hostile. These qualities are rarely manifested in the current physical plane, save for circumstances of severely tormented souls.

Well, outside of the souls that escaped and possessed unsuspecting humans. Which is all that demons really are – souls that have been tortured well beyond their breaking point. Ruby was almost there. _Thisclose_ to breaking. But there was another soul – one to which she was bound – a soul whose torture she was to oversee. Bindings are known by none but Fate and Destiny, and when Ruby was reunited with one of her _catenatus animae_, something changed. Not long after, the gate opened and they escaped.

_When the body dies, the soul is not immediately reborn – this is a thing determined by Fate. Certain circumstances must occur, conditions met. Everything perfectly aligned._

Catenatus animae. A group of souls bound together by intertwined fates. He who is your brother in this life could have been your lover in a past life, may be your daughter in a future life, might have been a sworn enemy in an ancient time. Entangled in an eternal dance, these souls always find their ways back to each other, invisible tethers of Destiny linking them together.

There are a few souls, the solum anima, that are not bound and wander alone, which simply serve the purpose of facilitating Destiny and guiding the catenatus animae towards Fate.

Dean had found her, even when she was buried in the recesses of her mind, so there was no reason that she shouldn't be able to find him. It wasn't like he was complicated. Dean was easier to read than Latin. It was just a matter of thinking like Dean. And that? That was scary.

It didn't take long. If she was scared and pissed off like Dean, she'd want to be in a comforting place. For Dean, her first guess was somewhere with Sam, in that damned car. That turned out to be a bust – just left her standing back outside of that hotel room.

She cleared her mind, tried to focus on Dean. His presence and energy, his soul. As a demon, sensing these things is almost second nature. However, being separated by years of memories doesn't make locating Dean an easy task.

**oxo**

Dean was sitting on the porch steps of a white house when she found him. "Where are we?" Ruby asked.

"Home."

Ruby went up the steps and looked in one of the open windows. She recognized John right away, a young boy of three or four in his arms on the couch. A woman entered, pretty and blonde, carrying a baby. John reached for her hand and kissed it, smiling softly. Ruby watched her laugh and start for the stairs. Turning back towards Dean, she sighed. "Your family? Before...?"

"Yeah," he answered quietly.

She returned to Dean's side and sat beside him. Part of her wanted to say something – something profound, maybe – and part of her laughed at that part for being maudlin and _human_. She stayed quiet.

"You came out of the gate at the same time as my dad, didn't you?" he asked moments later, curious, not accusatory.

"Is that your half-assed way of asking if I knew him?"

"Did you?"

"You realize that Hell isn't exactly known for its social scene, right?"

Dean was silent for a moment, watching Ruby in a disturbingly intent way. "You're avoiding the question, aren't you?"

"Dean."

He'd never heard her sound so...weary. "Is that a 'yes'?"

"It's more complicated than you could ever know."

"Doesn't seem like I'm going anywhere soon; I've got time. Fill me in."

**oxo**

Ruby could remember when she was reunited with John in Hell. They were aboard a carrack built in a similar fashion of Columbus' Santa Maria. This ship, however, had been captained by Ruby during the life when she'd been known as Nicolaus Ludovicus, and John had been Matheus de Capua. Matheus had been taken prisoner during the raid of another ship, had been said to be dangerous and knowing of Magicks. Nicolaus had taken precautions, wrapped the cables from a winch about Matheus' wrists.

The ship had been sunk off the coast of Italy during a pirate attack and everyone aboard had perished.

In the months of Matheus' captivity prior to the demise of the ship, Nicolaus had developed a special liking for him.

When John tugged on his wrists, the keckling groaned above him. "Who are you?" he spat out.

Ruby transformed from her normal, roiling, black, demon self and into Nicolaus Ludovicus. "How could you ever forget?" she question, deep voice accented by Italian.

John's eyes went wide with horror as the memories came flooding back – late night trysts of Nicolaus' into Matheus' cell below deck, and a different kind of possession. "No. _No!_" He tugged harder, wrists bleeding.

A leather strap appeared in Nicolaus' hand. He stared at it thoughtfully. "I'm sorry, Matheus."

John's eyes were wild and pleading. "Then don't. Nicolaus. _Don't._"

"It's not my choice. Turn around."

John closed his eyes and did as he was told. As Matheus, he'd never been able to deny Nicolaus anything.

As the final lash landed, Ruby could feel the electricity in the air change just the slightest. Something was happening. Something big. She could feel it _pulling_. It took her a moment to recognize the feeling, seeing as though it had been a century since she'd last experienced it. Quickly, she released John from his ropes. She returned to the standard, roiling mist. "Come on," she ordered. "We've gotta go – only chance."

**oxo**

Instead of filling Dean in on every little detail, Ruby only said, "We go way back, me and your dad." She thought of her pasts with Dean and Sam, too. And Bobby and Ellen. Their catenatus animae six strong. "I helped him escape," she admitted, continuing quietly, "and he's the one that saved _me_."


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Down the Rabbit Hole (5/?)  
Author: alakewood  
Warnings: Spoiler for _Dream a Little Dream of Me_ and tiny ones for _No Rest for the Wicked_ and _Skin_.  
Rating: PG-13  
Word Count: 1100  
Summary: _A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step._ -- Lao-tzu  
Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing.

**oxoxo**

Dean was just getting ready to ask Ruby what had possessed her to want to break John Winchester out of Hell, but he was hit with a sudden, incapacitating wave of nausea. Then she was kneeling in front of him, holding him steady – he could feel her cold hands through the sleeves of his shirt – and her face blurred, his vision swimming, then he was laying down and staring up at Sam.

He tried to reach for his brother, but he couldn't move. Over Sam's shoulder, he could see Bobby, and he felt the presence of somebody else. The nausea ebbed and he found himself looking at Ruby again.

She moved to his side when he started dry-heaving, only to launch himself off the steps to puke in the bushes. "Dean?" She actually sounded _concerned_.

He held up a hand then coughed and spit before attempting to stand. "I saw Sam," he said, hand gripping the banister for support. "I think I might be waking up." The nausea began to roll through him once more.

"Dean, find me – make sure it's still _me_."

Ruby's voice sounded muted as if Dean was underwater.

"There's a warehouse five-"

Then Dean was sick again, clutching his stomach and nearly rolling off the bed. Sam had to step back so Dean wouldn't throw up on his shoes.

"Dude, you okay?"

Dean groaned something unintelligible in response.

"He's gonna be out of it for a while, Sam," Bobby said. "He'll be sick and throwing up until all that damned dream root is out of his system."

That was the last thing Dean could remember hearing before he blanked out, the following hours filled with unimaginable pain as he was seized with violent dry-heaving spells. Sam was the only constant thing besides the pain, attempting to lessen his fever with cool rags and calm him with words he couldn't hear.

**oxo**

The hotel room was dark when Dean finally woke up, entire body sore but the nausea gone. "Sam?" he rasped, voice raw from throwing up and dry-heaving.

Sam was sitting beside Dean's bed in a rickety wooden chair, head bent forward with his chin on his chest.

"Hey." Dean reached for the mug on the nightstand – water – and took a long drink. His head was throbbing, felt...full. And his body felt crowded, skin too tight. He heard Sam inhale sharply as he woke, lifting his head to look at Dean and it was like he was seeing Sam through someone else's eyes – Sam's face twisted and contorted and Dean was afraid of and for his brother all in one confused moment. Then he thought he knew what it meant-

"Dean?"

Sam had a suspicious look in his eyes and Dean realized that he'd been staring. "Hey."

"What the Hell were you thinking?"

"Just now?"

Sam just rolled his eyes as his jaw tensed then fixed Dean with a full-on bitch-face.

"You mean with the...stuff." He took another drink of water.

"Yeah. What were you doing? Whose mind did you Freddy Krueger?" When Dean averted his gaze, Sam pressed harder. "Who, Dean?"

"Ruby."

Sam's scoff was incredulous. "You can't be serious! Why would you..." Sam stopped then, biting at his bottom lip, obviously understanding why.

Dean had the sensation of not being in control of his body for a moment. "Sam." His voice, but not.

"Dean?"

As he shook his head unwillingly, he realized his hunch had been right. The cocky smirk, head tilt, and raise of the eyebrows were as telling as a name.

"Ruby."

"In the flesh. But _clearly_ not my own."

"You're _possessing_ Dean?"

"Hey," she said defensively, "he dragged me into his head – I didn't do this on purpose. But we've gotta get to my body before something else does, Sam." She tossed the blankets off of Dean's body and started to get up, but fell back down. "Just let me do this, Dean – you're too weak."

"I don't think so, Ruby." And it was beyond strange to be talking to Dean's body but not Dean – like with the shapeshifter, but at least this time he knew what was wearing his brother's skin.

"Sam."

"Maybe I should just exorcise you right now."

"Look, _Sam_," she said in a perfect imitation of Dean's impatience, "I prefer this mortal coil to the immortal coil of Hell. I _need_ that body back."

Sam hesitated.

"I really don't want to get too familiar with your brother's body and I doubt that you want me...inside him." She made a face.

"Fine."

**oxo**

Ruby directed Sam to the warehouse she'd holed herself up in – it was five miles down the road from their hotel.

"So, you've been following us?"

Dean's cheeks flushed slightly. "I keep tabs on you to keep you out of trouble. But I do a lot of hunting on my own, too."

Sam parked the Impala on the side of the building away from the road and followed Ruby inside. He laughed at the way she stalked around in Dean's body, as if she were wearing a pair of too-big boots. Inside the building, he realized that the place wasn't abandoned, but had been converted into huge, free-standing storage units. When Ruby started running, he realized something wasn't right.

Ruby shoved the rolling door on the unit the rest of the way up and stared inside. "Shit." She turned to Sam. "I'm gone."


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Down the Rabbit Hole [6/?]  
Author: alakewood  
Warnings: None.  
Rating: PG-13  
Word Count: ~650  
Summary: _A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step._ -- Lao Tzu  
Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing.

**oxoxo**

_THEN..._

Ruby directed Sam to the warehouse she'd holed herself up in – it was five miles down the road from their hotel.

"So, you've been following us?"

Dean's cheeks flushed slightly. "I keep tabs on you to keep you out of trouble. But I do a lot of hunting on my own, too."

Sam parked the Impala on the side of the building away from the road and followed Ruby inside. He laughed at the way she stalked around in Dean's body, as if she were wearing a pair of too-big boots. Inside the building, he realized that the place wasn't abandoned, but had been converted into huge, free-standing storage units. When Ruby started running, he realized something wasn't right.

Ruby shoved the rolling door on the unit the rest of the way up and stared inside. "Shit." She turned to Sam. "I'm gone."

**oxo**

_NOW..._

Ruby spun around, intent on running out of the storage unit, but she was unprepared for the way her momentum shifted Dean's body weight and she stumbled into Sam, nearly plowing him over. "Get out of my way, Sam."

"De- Ruby!" It wasn't difficult for Sam to catch up with her, Ruby's awkwardness in Dean's body no match for Sam's long stride.

"There's no time!" She wrenched her arm free from Sam's grasp.

Ruby's panic was vivid in Dean's eyes. "It's only been a couple of days."

"_Only a couple of days,_" she mocked with Dean's gruff sarcasm as she lumbered towards the Impala. "You of all people should know what can happen in _a couple of days_. We don't even know what's wearing my body-"

"It's not even _your_ body, Ruby, so what difference does it make?" Sam stood stock-still with one hand on the handle of the driver's side door and the keys clenched in the fist of the other inside his pocket.

"Okay, I _know_ the body _wasn't_ mine, but the girl that was inside it'll probably never be coming back. Do you have any idea what that body has been through? Bobby _shot me in the chest_ once. It- _she_ will be dead in a matter of minutes without someone else in the saddle. That is, if she isn't dead already. So get in the damn car, Sam.

Meanwhile, Dean played the silent passenger, seeing Ruby's thoughts nearly as clearly as his own. It was like watching a movie through fog. Individual scenes and clips being spliced together as she imagined all her options. He took his chance and forced his way through her defenses while she was unaware. "Get in the car, Sammy. It's a long-shot, but she's got an idea."

The expression on Dean's face was one of confusion and Sam was equally stunned at the use of his nickname. "Dean?"

"Your brother's a sneaky bastard. Get in the car, Sam – time's wasting."

**oxo**

As they drove, Ruby filled Sam in on the only decent plan she could come up with in such a limited amount of time. Dean had even agreed that it was probably the fastest way to reunite Rube with her body as well.

"Are you sure this is the way?" Sam asked, turning off the highway onto a rutted, rarely-driven dirt road a few hours later.

"Yes. She prefers to stay out of the way where only desperate, true believers and old friends will attempt to find her."

After a few more miles and a couple of seemingly random turns, a large stone building came into view. No other buildings, no vehicles around save the Impala – the house was a remote island in a sea of prairie grass.

Sam parked a few yards away from the front door and hesitated a moment before getting out to join Ruby at the front door. "What is this place?" he asked, noting the trinity knot formed by wrought iron in the center of the design covering the massive wooden door.

"Technically, Siobhan is a psychic – like you. But, really, that's only one of her many talents."

The door creaked open, revealing a fair-skinned, dark-haired woman only a few years older than Dean. "Psychic, clairvoyant, medium," she shrugged. "I prefer to say that I have the gift of sight." She directed her gaze at Dean- rather, _Ruby_, then. "I'd like to say this is a welcome surprise, but this is neither welcome, nor a surprise. Ruby: what do you want?"

Arms akimbo, Ruby rolled Dean's eyes as she shifted his weight to one leg. It was all so _feminine_ and unlike Dean. "I need your help. Obviously."

Siobhan turned to Sam. "Your brother's body, yes?"

"Yeah."

"Quite the predicament. Let's see what I can do."


End file.
